Belfast

Halfway up the coast of Maine, on the northwest shore of Penobscot Bay, lies the city of Belfast. The Penobscot people once hunted its forests and speared sturgeon in the Passagassawakeag River. In 1770, envisioning a prosperous town, like-minded Scots-Irish farmers settled here. During the 19th century, hardworking men and women established Belfast as a major seaport and shipbuilding center, thanks to its abundant resources and accessible harbor. As the maritime economy faded, enterprising citizens invested in manufacturing as the city’s chief employer. Belfast takes the reader back to the early settlement, through the bustling shipbuilding heyday and gritty industrial decades, up to the city’s centennial celebration in 1953. Join us as we sail a tall ship, stitch boots inside the noisy shoe factory, and eat chicken barbecue on the shores of the bay.

Details

ISBN:

9781467104531

Format:

Paperback

Publisher:

Arcadia Publishing

Date:

6/22/2020

State:

Maine

Series:

Images of America

Images:

220

Pages:

128

Dimensions:

6.5 (w) x 9.25 (h)

Author

Megan S. Pinette, president of Belfast Historical Society and Museum, was photography editor of History of Belfast in the 20th Century. Jane B. McLean, storyteller and teacher, coauthored Helderberg Hilltowns for Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series. Most of the images used in this book are from the archives of Belfast Historical Society and Museum and were generously donated by local citizens.